Building A Guitar Synth Rig

[akapuli]

 

I don't know what you were using or thinking of using but the GR-55 and VG-99 are unparalleled in the synth category. There is virtually no sound you can't imitate with the VG-99 and the GR-55 is very close to the VG-99. They are not cheap but they are the best you can get.

 

 

I used GI-10, GI-20, the GK twin pedals, tested the GR-33 for 2 days, tried the GR-20, old VG and heard the rest, old and newest included. My brother still uses the GI-20 into TB-303 clone and MC-909.

Roland has way better sounds in their synths and I don't understand why guitarists don't have those choices. I had high hopes for the VG-99, maybe will test it in depth one day.

[brightflame]

I'm thinking of putting a set of graph tech gost saddles into my baritone Tele build, interested in this too...

 

Some month ago I bought an old Peavey Predator Plus, made in Korea, with Seymour Duncan Invader in bridge position and modded to Graphtech Ghost pickup system, which include hexaphonic and piezo pickups hidden into the bridge, with volume controls and key to scroll through any GK1 thorugh GK3 Roland device. Then I bought a Roland GR33. GR33 stereo output goes direct to PA, while standard guitar jack goes to my usual rig. In case PA it's for voice only I have a 400w active monitor for GR33 only. I use an A/B switch and keep both my guitar, standard and synth, always connected, and by pressing a switch I only need take a guitar or the other.

GR33 sounds are great. Here you can hear our cover of Purple rain where strings and keyboards are my synth guitar (forget our singer voice which was {censored}ed up....), while the solo is my synth guitar switched to my standard guitar rig (Digitech RP7, into EL34 Tube Power amp 60+60w, into V30 2x12 cab.

As already stated, sounds are perfect, but you must reinvent your approach to guitar, since people will listen to hammond, or piano, or sax, or brass section.

Not so easy, believe me.

 

http://soundcloud.com/rockin-loud/purple-rain

[Bill Ruppert]

Using pedals in a modular fashion always sound more organic to my ear, AND feels better to play than a pitch to voltage synth.

I own both a VG-99 and a GR55 and several other synths.

On 9 out of 10 sessions I have brought synth gear in the producers always prefer the more organic sound and I wind up turning the real synth off.

Using pedals and guitar in a modular form will always lead you to a more original sound that can only be produced using fingers on guitar stings.

 

You can play a note on a keyboard with the tip of an umbrella or a hot dog and the sound produced will be the same.

The same for triggering a synth with guitar. The sound it produces really has NOTHING to do with the original string sound.

NOT so on guitar-effects!

Below are a few modular pedal videos.

Bill

[video=youtube;TR1iubF-4gg]

 

 

[hooya]

 

This should be released in the next few months: http://www.bestofnamm.com/products/view/tripleplay

 

 

Interesting... Can it be wired if you want? Can it go to things other than the USB receiver? I never like relying on a computer in a live performance situation, too much risk of a runaway bug in the software or an update that just installed that says "Your computer will restart in 60 seconds whether you like it or not".

[six acre lake]

For the record, I have never played / heard a Roland guitar synth sound that I liked. They always sound

[hooya]

For the record, I have never played / heard a Roland guitar synth sound that I liked. They always sound

[Reauchambeau]

so true, and your videos are the proof.

[percyexpat]

 

Interesting... Can it be wired if you want? Can it go to things other than the USB receiver? I never like relying on a computer in a live performance situation, too much risk of a runaway bug in the software or an update that just installed that says "Your computer will restart in 60 seconds whether you like it or not".

 

 

As far as I know you have to plug in into a computer of some description. From there you could wire it to anything. I read an interview with the guy who designed it and he said that if this product is popular there may be more to follow on from it that wouldn't require a computer or could be installed internally, etc.

 

In other news, the next version of Ableton Live will have a pitch to midi function built in. It's not real time but it'd be pretty sweet for recording and composition and so on.

[Steadfastly]

 

Using pedals in a modular fashion always sound more organic to my ear, AND feels better to play than a pitch to voltage synth. I own both a VG-99 and a GR55 and several other synths. On 9 out of 10 sessions I have brought synth gear in the producers always prefer the more organic sound and I wind up turning the real synth off.

 

 

I'm betting it has more to do with their mindset than any real sound differences. It reminds me of the Candid Camera episode where they had a perfume bottle with nothing but plain water in it and asked people to tell them what it smelled like. The answers were all over the place. It was supposed to have a smell so the mind told them it did smell like something. These producers have been told the same thing for years or have been telling it for years. In a blind sound test they would lose their shirt if they were betting men.

[Steadfastly]

Tone is in the fingers? Can the Roland GK pickup go directly into anything else or does it have to go to a Roland synth first? If the former, just got into a different synth. If the latter, can you bypass the Roland synth and go Midi Out to a synth you like? Now it's much more expensive than you want I'm sure.

 

I believe it is a nine pin connector, so if you have a nine pin receptical, it should work.

[cobalt-60]

Does anybody have a video of somebody doing simple, tasteful synth work with the sonus? Just tapping out analog bass lines, triggering pads, etc?

[ambient]

do you want monophonic or poly? If mono, just get the G2M and whatever synth you like, If poly, there are midi hex pickups/bridges etc. that you could get installed in one of your ECGs.

I haven't tried a boss synth product either, but I agree they always sound super cheesy. Maybe they have good sounds in them, but I wouldn't risk it without seeing a good demo or trying one first. I would be surprised if you were satisfied with one. Also their pickups are super {censored}ty looking.

[WAWBanks]

Ok so I'm halfway through moving house and my interface is in... the other house.

But to make good on my promise I recorded this on photobooth on my macbook so don't expect quality. The audio and video are a bit out of sync so it doesn't give you a good idea of how minimal the latency is. I haven't fired up the Moog in a while and my guitaring is a bit sloppy so apologies all 'round. For the cost of these things you can afford to get one without thinking twice.

Signal is

----------------->Moog >Orange Dual Terror

Jaguar >G2M

----------------->Angry Troll >Octophant >Supa-Puss >M9 >Laney VC15

 

 

[npfrs]

 

[npfrs]

 

Originally Posted by WAWBanks

Ok so I'm halfway through moving house and my interface is in... the other house.

But to make good on my promise I recorded this on photobooth on my macbook so don't expect quality. The audio and video are a bit out of sync so it doesn't give you a good idea of how minimal the latency is. I haven't fired up the Moog in a while and my guitaring is a bit sloppy so apologies all 'round. For the cost of these things you can afford to get one without thinking twice.

Signal is

----------------->Moog >Orange Dual Terror

Jaguar >G2M

----------------->Angry Troll >Octophant >Supa-Puss >M9 >Laney VC15

 

 

The irony is that I came here to post your other video last night, but fell asleep before-hand.

[WAWBanks]

I forgot my other video was searchable. I thought I'd turned it to private. It's even worse than the one I just posted! The Moog was out of tune too I think.

[Reauchambeau]

if a person is going to sound cheesy through a Roland, then (maybe) he/she's a cheesy musician.

King Crimson used Roland GR-300's extensively on Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair.

[mr benn]

 

Originally Posted by WAWBanks

Ok so I'm halfway through moving house and my interface is in... the other house.

But to make good on my promise I recorded this on photobooth on my macbook so don't expect quality. The audio and video are a bit out of sync so it doesn't give you a good idea of how minimal the latency is. I haven't fired up the Moog in a while and my guitaring is a bit sloppy so apologies all 'round. For the cost of these things you can afford to get one without thinking twice.

Signal is

----------------->Moog >Orange Dual Terror

Jaguar >G2M

----------------->Angry Troll >Octophant >Supa-Puss >M9 >Laney VC15

 

 

Love the sound at around 1:00

[Bill Ruppert]

The GR-300 is not a PCM synth and tracks very different.

It also had hex fuzz.

The Roland VG-99 is its next cousin and also not a synth but hex processing and remodeling

Its a very cool sound....

I love the VG-99.....GR-55 not so much

[npfrs]

 

Originally Posted by WAWBanks

I forgot my other video was searchable. I thought I'd turned it to private. It's even worse than the one I just posted! The Moog was out of tune too I think.

 

I must have found it before that happened. I think it's a good reference and like it more than the new one.

[spentron]

SAL was talking about a double-tracking effect and for that the different expression, or lack of it, of a true synth would help with sounding like 2 people. But the demands of technique could contrast too sharply between the 2 sounds. OTOH a Synth Wah is enough to stand out seperate from normal guitar, and is twice as much fun when put beside a good normal guitar tone. It just isn't very versatile.

[six acre lake]

 

Originally Posted by Reauchambeau

if a person is going to sound cheesy through a Roland, then (maybe) he/she's a cheesy musician.

King Crimson used Roland GR-300's extensively on Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair.

 

Thank You. You just made my point. I am a huge King Crimson fan and those records sound super cheesy and dated. I'll take Starless And Bible Black, Larks Tongue In Aspic, and Red any and all day long.

[Reauchambeau]

 

Originally Posted by six acre lake

Thank You. You just made my point. I am a huge King Crimson fan and those records sound super cheesy and dated. I'll take Starless And Bible Black, Larks Tongue In Aspic, and Red any and all day long.

 

I agree on those other albums being amazing.

since that trilogy was made 30 years ago, sounding dated is a given.

the 300 is an analog synth and I think they used them really well, the textures in "the Sheltering Sky" could have only been done with a GR-300.

David Bowies "Ashes to Ashes" had GR-300 featured in it, it too sounds amazing, certainly not cheesy to my ears.

[six acre lake]

FrOm a pedal perspective I'm thinking Bit Commander, MXR Ultimate Octave, Prometheus DlX and DMM... I already have the MXR and DMM...

[PKTrono]

 

Originally Posted by six acre lake

FrOm a pedal perspective I'm thinking Bit Commander, MXR Ultimate Octave, Prometheus DlX and DMM... I already have the MXR and DMM...

 

the bit commander heavy, thick, and awesome

i think it benefits from having a high ratio compressor in front, though